Short: Complete ARexx reference. AmigaGuide. Type: util/rexx Uploader: robin@halcyon.com Author: robin@halcyon.com DESCRIPTION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ARexxGuide is a complete ARexx reference with tutorials and examples. It includes argument templates and descriptions of all instruction keywords, of built-in functions, and of the functions in rexxsupport.library. The basic elements of the language are fully explained. Example programs and clauses are included with the explanations. It is a shareware offering. The suggested fee is $15. VERSION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Version 1.0C Added note on single-clause persistence of DATE() and TIME() values. A few more typos found and fixed. Version 1.0B Minor changes to formatting were made in several files. Some additional errata was corrected. Version 1.0A This fixes reported typos, some bad link directions (especially in the Tutorial section), and some problems experienced with the example scripts. A patch file called ARexxGdFix1_0A.lha (at most locations) is available for those who have downloaded version 1.0 of the guide. That patch file contains all of the files to which significant changes were made. Some additional formatting changes have been included in other files. ARCHIVE CONTENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ARexxGuide drawer of this archive contains 20 files that make up one AmigaGuideŽ application. The AmigaGuide files are: ArexxGuide.guide ArexxGuide.guide.info ARx_Cmd.ag ARx_Elements.ag ARx_Elements2.ag ARx_Elements3.ag ARx_Func.ag ARx_Func2.ag ARx_Func3.ag ARx_Func4.ag ARx_Index ARx_Instr.ag ARx_Instr2.ag ARx_Instr3.ag ARx_Intro.ag ARx_Notes.ag ARx_Operator.ag ARx_PrgUcr.ag ARx_UcrTutor1.ag ARx_UcrTutor2.ag Only ARexxGuide.guide is intended as an AmigaGuide executable. The other files are called from within the main node of that guide. The following ARexx script files, located in the same directory, are used to run interactive examples from ARexxGuide: ARx_Cmpr.rexx ARx_IactExamples.rexx ARx_Reg.rexx Arx_Trace.rexx The 'Extras' drawer contains some files that are not necessary, but may be helpful to some users. A Readme file in that directory explains those files. The file 'UnCrunch.rexx' is the the source document for the program included in the tutorial section. INSTALLATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ARexxGuide drawer can be moved to any location. The #?.rexx files in the drawer may, optionally, be moved to the system REXX: directory. The following command will do that: copy /ARexxGuide/#?.rexx REXX: delete /ARexxGuide/#?.rexx RUNNING ARexxGuide ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From the icon: Double-click on the ARexxGuide.guide icon. ARexxGuide will open its window. The default tool in the icon is 'AmigaGuide' without path specification. If your AmigaGuide executable program is located in a path that is searched by Workbench, then that will be enough. If, however, AmigaGuide cannot be found by Workbench, then you should single-click on the icon and press Amiga-I. Add the full path to the 'Default tool:' field in the Information window. Example: sys:utilities/Amigaguide If you use Multiview instead of AmigaGuide, then you may need to change the default tool. When ARexxGuide is called from the icon, the .rexx interactive examples will run, even if they are not moved to the rexx: directory. From a shell: You have more options when you run ARexxGuide from a shell, but may also run into a few more problems because this guide uses multiple files. When pressing one of the link buttons in the guide, AmigaGuide will often look for one of the subsidiary files. It will find them if they are in the current directory or if they are in a path included in the AmigaGuide/path environmental variable. --- Run ARexxGuide from the current directory. Make the directory containing ARexxGuide.guide the current directory before calling the guide: Example: cd /ARexxGuide Amigaguide ARexxGuide.guide Interactive .rexx examples will run even if they are not moved to REXX: when the guide is invoked this way. --- Add the ARexxGuide path the AmigaGuide search path. AmigaGuide will look for files in directories specified in the environmental variable amigaguide/path. If you often run this guide from a shell or directory utility, you should probably set the variable. The following command, issued from a shell, will set a search path for AmigaGuide: makedir env:amigaguide setenv amigaguide/path /ARexxGuide where is the full path leading to the directory. If you've already created an 'amigaguide' path in env:, then you may omit the makedir command. Note that this command will replace any value that might previously have been set for the path variable. You can, however, include multiple paths in that variable. Just separate each path from others with a space and use the collection in the 'setenv' command. The env: directory is located by default in RAM:, so this setting will not survive a reboot. If you'd like to have path automatically set when you reboot, issue this command: copy env:amigaguide/#? envarc: If that command is issued after you have opened and closed AmigaGuide, then the window size and position last used will also be saved. Once the search path for AmigaGuide is set, ARexxGuide can be run without setting the current directory. The interactive examples, however, might not run. They should be moved to the REXX: directory to so that ARexx will be able to find them. DISTRIBUTION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The files in this archive are copyright 1993, Robin Evans and may be distributed only in the original form and only under the conditions outlined below. The archive may be distributed in its original form on any non-commercial media, on local and national computer networks, on Aminet distribution channels (including the Walnut Creek CD-ROM), and on the Fish Disks. Distribution of the copyrighted material in this archive is prohibited if the contents of the original archive are in any way altered. Rights are reserved to other forms of distribution of this archive or of its contents individually, including distribution with commercial products or distribution of printed versions of any copyrighted file contained in the archive. Contact the author for information about distribution. Robin Evans 22 Oct 1993 R.EVANS6 on GEnie from Internet: robin@halcyon.com r.evans6@genie.geis.com by phone: (206) 682-7077